

Ames vs New York
$1,172/mo less in New York
AmesNew YorkAbout 1,033 miles apart, a flight.
- New York costs you more
- Rent over 30% of pay
- 224 sunny days
Same paycheck, two cities. $1,229/mo in New York. $2,401/mo in Ames. −$14,064 a year.
Ames
$2,401
left each month
New York
$1,229
−$1,172 vs Ames
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
−$1,172 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Ames | New York | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $6,208 | $9,270 | +$3,061 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,332 | $2,878 | +$1,546 |
| Take-home pay | $4,877 | $6,392 | +$1,515 |
| Rent | $760 | $3,018 | +$2,258 |
| Getting around | $457 | $347 | −$110 |
| Groceries | $347 | $496 | +$149 |
| Healthcare | $391 | $558 | +$167 |
| Utilities | $217 | $310 | +$93 |
| Everything else | $304 | $434 | +$130 |
| Left over | $2,401 | $1,229 | −$1,172 |
Salary to match Ames
$135,000
Gross pay in New York that leaves the same amount as $74,500 in Ames.
Tax difference
−$7,661
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 21.4% in Ames, 31.0% in New York.
More about New York
Ames, IA in full
A flat 3.8% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $905 and 207 sunny days; commutes average 19 minutes.
New York, NY in full
The one place where skipping a car genuinely offsets the rent.
The other way
Start in New York.
New York → Ames →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in New York than Ames?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, New York leaves about $1,172 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $760 in Ames and $3,018 in New York.
Does New York have state income tax?
New York is in New York, which taxes wage income, plus a local wage tax of 3.88%.
What changes if you move from Ames to New York?
The paycheck is taxed in New York. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Ames and New York changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.